Fans have launched a campaign to have Europe's least successful international team included in FIFA 17.

The tiny republic of San Marino is represented by a side that in 26 years has never won a competitive match, and even in friendlies has only a single victory to its name: a 1-0 triumph over Liechtenstein in April 2004.

Yet a dedicated group of supporters think its time the minnows were rewarded for nearly three decades of unmerited graft with a spot on the international teams list in EA's next virtual football offering. To that end, they've coined the social media hashtag #SanMarinoEnElFIFA17, and set up a change.org petition (which is on the verge of 300 signatures), in the hope of attracting the Canadian publisher's attention.

Requests for San Marino to appear in the game stretch back more than a decade. For FIFA 09 two Polish gamers even made a special (if not necessarily legal) patch dedicated to the team, titled – see what they've done here? – the San Marino Patch.

EA has traditionally positioned FIFA as a club-focussed game, with last year's edition featuring 48 men's and 12 women's international sides.

However, we already know that list is expanding to include the Norway ladies' squad. So maybe – although it is a big maybe, admittedly – there is a smidgen of hope for a team that scored its first away goal in 14 years against Lithuania last September.